I'm doing Le Race (chch to akaroa) for the first time this weekend and i'm unsure about how to keep up my water supply.

After some solid test rides i know i'll need 7-8 bottles. Seems like a lot but i'm a clydesdale and it's been pretty hot here lately. I think i'll be about 3:45 hours.

Plan so far is to start with 3 bottles, get another 2 at the main road turnoff to akaroa, then another 3 at the hilltop to get me to the finish.

I've got someone who'll stand at the hilltop with bottles so i'm now wondering what to do at the main road. THere's a water station there and i'm wondering if i should just get off my bike and fills some bottles. I guess it'll take 1 minute to fill bottles so on one hand i'm thinking it'll take about 1 1/2 hours out of someones day to save me 1 minute, but on the other hand it takes a bloody lot of work to take a minute off my time up the climb to the hilltop.

Does anyone have any better ideas for water strategy?

Can anyone comment on the access to water? ie if there is a 5 minute queue to get water then i'll definitly find someone to hand me bottles, but if it's likely that there will be no queue and easy access then i might stop.

I'd go with the above suggestion of leave some water near the turnoff, if you have someone going to the hilltop anyway then get them to hang a distinctive bag on the fence or somewhere accessible on the way past, then it should only be a few seconds to swap bottles and carry on. Easier than possibly having to join a queue, and you can stay clear of the relay changeover shenanigans.

7-8 bottles does seem like a lot.....I'm thinking 2 should do me for the baby race length.

I did a 3:35 in 2009. Including a stop at the Little river water station to refill 2 water bottles and had no queues or issues.

Unless you are some kinda slug on the climbs and rocketship on the flat. At that pace, Hilltop is only a 30 minute climb, are you really gonna get through 2 bottles in 30 minutes? I'm with neels I'd go 3 at the start 3 at hilltop, with plan B being a fill up at the bottom if you can't wait till the top.

I think i'll leave some bottles in a bag maybe just before going down the bastard. If i pick up 3 bottles there then that'll get me to the hilltop where i'll get another 3. If they get pinched then plan B is stopping at the millars road water station.

Rik wrote:I did a 3:35 in 2009. Including a stop at the Little river water station to refill 2 water bottles and had no queues or issues.

Unless you are some kinda slug on the climbs and rocketship on the flat. At that pace, Hilltop is only a 30 minute climb, are you really gonna get through 2 bottles in 30 minutes? I'm with neels I'd go 3 at the start 3 at hilltop, with plan B being a fill up at the bottom if you can't wait till the top.

I am a slug on the climbs - I think i'll be 1:50 to little river, 35 min up to the hilltop then giving it all i've got to the finish... So maybe closer to 3:55 but i'm a positive thinker!

Plan is:1 bottle up dyers1 along the top1 1/2 descent down to the main road and out to little river1 up to hilltop3 to finish

I think i'll leave some bottles in a bag maybe just before going down the bastard.

there is the spring just before gibraltar rock - you'd want to go up and check the flow rate though, some summers it gets down to barely a trickle (so would take a lonnng time to fill a bottle)

Plan is:1 bottle up dyers1 along the top1 1/2 descent down to the main road and out to little river1 up to hilltop3 to finish

like other people have said I do think that sounds an excessive amount of fluids, even for 3.5-4 hours. If you're drinking straight water flushing that amount thru your system would be a good recipe for cramps - how much have you been drinking on your full distance training rides?

I've ridden the course in 2h15 and that was with just two bottles (so 1.2l) - was pretty parched at the end up but that's ok, we're evolved to handle that (the whole 'stay hydrated' thing is largely a sales ploy by the sports drink companies)

danose wrote:there is the spring just before gibraltar rock - you'd want to go up and check the flow rate though, some summers it gets down to barely a trickle (so would take a lonnng time to fill a bottle)

I'd have the bottles filled already, 1 with water, 2 with that "Pure" hydration stuff.

danose wrote:like other people have said I do think that sounds an excessive amount of fluids, even for 3.5-4 hours. If you're drinking straight water flushing that amount thru your system would be a good recipe for cramps - how much have you been drinking on your full distance training rides?

I've ridden the course in 2h15 and that was with just two bottles (so 1.2l) - was pretty parched at the end up but that's ok, we're evolved to handle that (the whole 'stay hydrated' thing is largely a sales ploy by the sports drink companies)

I do get a fair bit of cramping as soon as i stop.

3 weeks ago i parked at Little River for my first look at the course from there onwards.

At an easy to moderate effort I used 3 bottles from little river following the course to akaroa but the weather was quite cool. Had a breather and rode back the short way. About then it shot up to 30 degrees and i'd only filled one bottle in Akaroa. Didn't realise the road out of akaroa was as tough as it was and suffered big time. WHen i got home, had about a litre of water and a big lunch and i was still 2.5kg less than when i left home that morning. Next morning felt like i had a massive hangover. Took me about 4 days to recover energy and fluids..

On sunday (yesterday) i basically followed the course out to the main road, turned left at the blue duck, then left again at millars road (the other side of the valley) then went back up gebbies and the bastard. Idea was to simulate doing the hilltop climb after already doing some work, using one Cliff Shot Block about every 15 minutes and testing my water plan. I used:1 bottle up dyers1 along the top, finished it before the descent1 for the descent out to main road then back to the base of gebbies1 for the climb back up gebbies and the bastard.

I was getting a bit parched by the top of the bastard but happily road back along the top and down dyers then out to ferrymead with no water, but would have liked some. Woke up this morning with slightly stiff legs, otherwise fine so i'm figuring that the water played a big part.

I've always sweat a lot. I'm 6 foot 1 and 100kg, been cycling for 6 months after years of casual mtbiking so i'm new to all this and really do appreciate the advice.

Also, what would you guys put in your water? In all of your bottles or have a mix of some water and some with powder?

theFan wrote:Also, what would you guys put in your water? In all of your bottles or have a mix of some water and some with powder?

I always go with straight water in bottles/bladders, and tablets or gels for electrolytes/carbs - simply cos I got sick of trying to get bottles/bladders clean or ending up with mould growing in them. Also means you can isolate food intake from drinking (which can be a god-send in cold conditions when I don't sweat much so forget to drink - I have my watch send to remind me to eat every 30 min so at least I keep some carbs going in)

as for cutting down on water intake and feeling bad afterwards - I think that's more to do with bad post-exercise recovery management (hydration and food) - guy I did that practice run with and I both mountain run now, and a lot of times there is NO option to refill so can be out for over 4 hours with only 1.5l to get you thru, having (suitable) food and fluids waiting at the finish line is key.

High temps will always be hard on you though, thankfully the forecast looks like it should be cooler for Le Race than it has been up to now!

Last edited by danose on Tue 15/Mar/16 1:48pm, edited 1 time in total.

neels wrote:I tend not to bother eating if I'm only out for 2-3hrs, maybe I should be, but as yet I haven't yet found something that's easy to eat on the bike that doesn't make me feel worse than not bothering.

riding I seldom bothered - long training rides (4+ hours) could get marginal, most races were under 3 hours and at pace there was no time to eat anyway.

I find running requires me to pay more attention to my eating, much easier to Bonk even with 'short' stuff (3 hours)

danose wrote:I've ridden the course in 2h15 and that was with just two bottles (so 1.2l) - was pretty parched at the end up but that's ok, we're evolved to handle that (the whole 'stay hydrated' thing is largely a sales ploy by the sports drink companies)

You will need at least a 25l Keg but if it is hot in Christchurch you may need a 50 l. Chill the keg overnight if possible and have the Soigneur ride your bike keg to a stage on the race and ensure that it is tapped correctly and that the tap is chilled too so it doesn't foam.

danose wrote:I've ridden the course in 2h15 and that was with just two bottles (so 1.2l) - was pretty parched at the end up but that's ok, we're evolved to handle that (the whole 'stay hydrated' thing is largely a sales ploy by the sports drink companies)

"You can call in to the change over stations but they are not on your course they are off the road - Hill Top is new one this year - containers of water will be placed at Duvachelles peak - if you are desperate then go in to the change over stations but as I said its off your course"

So it sounds like you can't rely on the change over stations - need to get to Hill Top for water.